Few Questions (Re: God's Miracles - Past and Present)

Spiritman.8mWow I just now spotted your place of residence and I am smitten with envy.That is beautiful country you are in.
Anmyway I thought to comment on this point of yours here. It seems obvious where you are leading with this so I will ask if in searching for that certain type of mushroom if I cannot find it where you say it is will you require of me that I must first "believe" in the mushroom and only then it will appear? Or will it,as all other things in reality,be there whether I choose to believe it or not?And concerning this statement By what criteria do you come to acknowledge something when to believe in something you must first make the assumption that such things exist and thus pre-dispose your mind to filter evidence only in terms of the belief? How do you discern the difference between wishing something were so because you badly want it to be that way and merely fooling yourself for whatever reason?Again let me remind you that I am envious and will now haunt your every post waiting for an invitation to come down for a visit.LOL

Spiritman.8m How so sir? Precisely what is it that convinces you that such is the case?If there is evidence how is your confidence level dependant upon your belief? If so why? If not, what is the need for faith?
That is the point of good evidence,it is the same regardless of your state of mind. Ah,but the crucial difference in your thought experment is that the mushroom is a physical entity of which I am familiar and even unfamiliar mushrooms may be identified with ease as mushrooms.How do you intend to verify something without the means to show an actual entity? I had intended to come to the coast this year since my family is mainly all there and I even intended to visit Nosyned, who is on this forum, to visit old stomping grounds{Langley} and pick those wonderful wild berries of the west coast.The weather has fouled up my plans this year since I am in roofing and our jobs have been constantly slam dunked over and over so money is tight this year. I am taking my wife and child down to the coast next year for a family reunion and I will do my best to stretch my vacation to 3weeks and drop by for a cup of tea.Anyway time is kicking on towards my bedtime so I will get back to you sometime tomorrow.

Spiritman.8m Aye, there's the rub.If he won't help me not much sense in searching is there? This is because if he were real and came calling {and I could rule out ordinary things such as that brain section of ours that induces such feelings} there would be no need on my part to trust that he is there to begin with. Well,there you go, such is the difficulty since we have wildy varying standards of evidence.You have also the difficult task of explaining why one needs trust to find evidence for that which one presumably knows to be real and true.
Sir,if you know it to be real and true without evidence how can you,except you first believe,know god exists in order to be shown the evidence? That is a subtle form of fooling yourself in order to find that which you wish to find in the first place. It is highly suspect,since if you first place yourself in that position of belief you have then put your brain into a search mode to find support for the belief while at the same time put blinders on to that which contradicts such a stance.Anyhow, I am sure tea in Whistler {being an atheist as I am} would be the equivalent to me of having gone to heaven and found it filled with all my wildest hopes and dreams. I assume you ski?

Spiritman.8m Then I am done as I do not seek the truth but only a good laugh.So I guess god will have to reveal himself to another.I do not believe I did assume you skied however with the sheer volume of trails there it is a shame.No we do not need to limit ourselves to tea but due to a misspent youth {or not somedays I cannot tell} my liver responds to alchohol by choking the blazes out of my guts. I would however settle for coffee or juices for myself and watch you with envy while you consume beer.